In addition to being a prominent blogger and chronicler of all things foodie, Bethia harbors great passion for urban history, art, and architecture. She’s also a smart lady who knew that offering guided, personalized tours of our city’s brightest food gems would fare well. Each of her tours includes a handful of stops at hand picked independently owned businesses with samples of top menu items. And most stops source a high amount of local ingredients.

This afternoon, with another dear friend, I happily participated in one of Bethia’s first tours in the Short North. We started at the North Market, where we sampled blueberries and heirloom cherry tomatoes at The Greener Grocer. Then we tasted Kitchen Little’s cassoulet, which took a whopping three days to make. We headed north on High Street to Knead, an urban diner that opened less than a month ago. We tried Brioche French Toast with Ohio maple syrup, and I learned a new word: Jinkie. It’s Knead’s version of a Twinkie, except with olive oil, mint, and lemon curd. We continued north to Le Chocoholique, another new establishment where we taste tested sweet basil truffles and green chile coconut truffles. We moved onward to Eleni-Christina Bakery, where we watched a weary lad who had been baking since the wee hours put the finishing touches on some Italian loaves and round rustic wheat bread. From there we walked to Tasi Café, where we munched on blueberry and cranberry muffins, almond croissants, and a caramel roll. And then we visited Rigsby’s Kitchen, which served us gnocchi with a Bolognese sauce. I had to leave before the last stop at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, but I’m sure it was the perfect ending to an informative, delicious, one-of-a-kind experience.

Initially, Columbus Food Adventures will offer a Short North walking tour, taco truck van tour, and ethnic eats van tour. Additional itineraries featuring microbrews, ice cream, and German Village eateries will be announced soon. Seasonal and special event tours are also part of Bethia’s master plan. Just remember to wear comfortable shoes, bring an empty stomach, and savor every moment.